Keith Instone

The creators of universalusability.org were the student fellows and the fellows committee members from the ACM's Conference on Universal Usability (CUU 2000). The Student Fellows Program was a student volunteer program with a twist. The volunteer effort began months before the conference itself. Students were given the nebulous task to envision, design, and construct a comprehensive web resource on universal usability -- a substantial challenge for any group let alone a group of people who are working asynchronously across time, language, and cultural barriers. With a lot of hard work and ingenuity we have succeeded in the creation of universalusability.org.

The call to participate in this exciting project was advertised on the web and on some select mailing lists (such as the SIGCHI members list). Students had to complete an application that included a short statement of their interest in universal usability. Selection was based not only on students' interests and skills but also to achieve a team balanced with respect to: academic maturity (from undergraduates to senior Phd students), academic discipline, cultural background, and international flavour. Selection was made by the three members of the fellowship committee.

In addition to the substantial web effort, student fellows were actively participating at the CUU conference to help ensure a successful event for all. Student fellows were given free registration to CUU and substantial funding for their travel, accommodation, and meals.

Fellowship Committee

Dr. Kori Inkpen, On-site Coordinator
Joanna McGrenere, General Coordinator
Dr. Brad Mehlenbacher, Web Coordinator

Universal Usability Fellows

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